General Educator Bloghttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator
General Educator BlogThu, 21 Sep 2017 14:47:33 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.2TPRS Secrets: A 9-step Guide for Language Educatorshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/tprs-2/
Wed, 20 Sep 2017 17:45:36 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/?p=3181Too much of a good thing is a good thing.

But that doesn’t mean we should drive our cars on wagon wheels instead of tires.

Sometimes, a smart update is necessary to turn something good into something great.

Take your language teaching. Do …

]]>You don’t want to reinvent the wheel.

But that doesn’t mean we should drive our cars on wagon wheels instead of tires.

Sometimes, a smart update is necessary to turn something good into something great.

Take your language teaching. Do …

]]>The 5 Best Sites for CLIL Worksheetshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/clil-worksheets/
Mon, 31 Jul 2017 22:00:37 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/?p=2903Are you one of those forward-thinking educators who always wants to try the latest, greatest innovation in the classroom?

]]>10 Books That Will Invigorate Your Language Teachinghttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/language-teaching-books/
Mon, 10 Apr 2017 13:55:50 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=2528Don’t you love the feeling of getting lost in a book?

It’s a wonderful way to spend a rainy afternoon, a lazy Sunday… or many enlightening hours of professional development.

Yep! The right language teaching books are your ticket to …

]]>Don’t you love the feeling of getting lost in a book?

It’s a wonderful way to spend a rainy afternoon, a lazy Sunday… or many enlightening hours of professional development.

Yep! The right language teaching books are your ticket to …

]]>How to Be a Good Language Teacher: 7 Tips for Successhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/how-to-be-a-good-language-teacher/
Mon, 27 Mar 2017 19:57:22 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=2490Are you a good language teacher?

I certainly hope you are! And if you’re reading this, at the very least you’re motivated to improve, even if you’re already excellent.

But even if you’re an amazing teacher, you can probably think …

]]>Are you a good language teacher?

I certainly hope you are! And if you’re reading this, at the very least you’re motivated to improve, even if you’re already excellent.

But even if you’re an amazing teacher, you can probably think …

]]>Press Play! How to Teach Foreign Languages with Videoshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/foreign-language-videos/
Wed, 22 Mar 2017 23:31:30 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=2472Do you remember being a student, walking into your classroom and seeing the VCR or DVD playerat the front of the room?

]]>Immersion Bilingual Education for Your Students and School: How to Get Startedhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/immersion-bilingual-education/
Mon, 13 Mar 2017 21:37:03 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=2445In a way, immersion bilingual education should be the goal of every language teacher.

After all, immersion most closely mimics the way we learn our first language.

And in teaching students a second language, we are already creating a bilingual…

]]>In a way, immersion bilingual education should be the goal of every language teacher.

After all, immersion most closely mimics the way we learn our first language.

And in teaching students a second language, we are already creating a bilingual…

]]>Looking for a Total Physical Response Lesson Plan? Here’s All You Needhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/total-physical-response-lesson-plan/
Wed, 15 Feb 2017 15:50:13 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=2362It appears that this TPR thing is not just a passing fad.

Although other trends have come and gone, TPR (Total Physical Response) has held steady as one of the preferred language teaching methodologies, ever since it was first introduced …

]]>It appears that this TPR thing is not just a passing fad.

Although other trends have come and gone, TPR (Total Physical Response) has held steady as one of the preferred language teaching methodologies, ever since it was first introduced …

]]>7 Immersion Activities to Help Your Language Students Soarhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/immersion-activities/
Wed, 18 Jan 2017 22:51:32 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=2315Wish you could whisk your class away to a country where the target language is spoken?

Have you daydreamed about planning a fully immersive trip for your students?

]]>How MFL Teachers Can Practice Differentiation in Their Classroomshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/differentiation-in-mfl/
Mon, 02 Jan 2017 21:11:36 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=2277Any angler worth their salt knows that different types of fish go for different types of bait.

Likewise, as a teacher, you need to make sure you’re using different types of bait for your MFL students.

After all, each …

]]>Any angler worth their salt knows that different types of fish go for different types of bait.

Likewise, as a teacher, you need to make sure you’re using different types of bait for your MFL students.

Prepare for an enthusiastic classroom filled with up-and-at-’em students!

There will be talking, shouting, laughing, dancing and all kinds of lively movement.

That’s because you’re about to …

]]>Warning: If you follow this post, your class may never be quiet again.

Prepare for an enthusiastic classroom filled with up-and-at-’em students!

There will be talking, shouting, laughing, dancing and all kinds of lively movement.

That’s because you’re about to …

]]>How to Successfully Implement an Immersion Teaching Curriculumhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/immersion-teaching/
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 23:40:38 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=2008Imagine if students could learn a language by opening up a math, history or science book.

]]>3 Fresh Ways to Use the Audio-lingual Method in Your Classhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/audio-lingual-method/
Tue, 15 Nov 2016 03:11:31 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1784Have you heard that the audio-lingual method is dead?

If you’re familiar with Content and Language Integrated Learning, you know that it’s …

]]>5 TPR Activities for Kids to Get Their Wiggles Outhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/tpr-activities-for-kids/
Mon, 31 Oct 2016 22:35:22 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1921Tired of telling your kids to sit down and use their indoor voices?

What does that mean, exactly? Will you switch places with your students? Hand out worksheets upside down?

Don’t worry—it’s more straightforward than …

]]>Literacy in MFL: Teach Your Students to Read, and You’ll Gift Them a Lifetime of Learninghttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/literacy-in-mfl/
Tue, 04 Oct 2016 02:36:43 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1661As the old adage goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

The same is true for language teaching, except without the fish.…

]]>As the old adage goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

The same is true for language teaching, except without the fish.…

]]>8 Teaching Techniques for the CLIL Teacher’s Soulhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/clil-teaching/
Mon, 26 Sep 2016 20:45:46 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1022FYI: This is one of those pages where you should be using the “Bookmark” option in your browser.

Why?

Because you’ve just found a CLIL techniques page, and we all know that’s hard to come by online.

Wait a minute, …

]]>FYI: This is one of those pages where you should be using the “Bookmark” option in your browser.

Why?

Because you’ve just found a CLIL techniques page, and we all know that’s hard to come by online.

Words so terrifying they send chills down the spines of even the most accomplished students.

That may be a bit dramatic, but here’s a fact: Practically no one likes tests.

The good news is that over …

]]>Test, assessment, exam…

Words so terrifying they send chills down the spines of even the most accomplished students.

That may be a bit dramatic, but here’s a fact: Practically no one likes tests.

The good news is that over …

]]>5 Communicative Language Teaching Activities That Give Students the Gift of Gabhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/communicative-language-teaching-activities/
Mon, 08 Aug 2016 18:47:25 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=708Would Tiger Woods be any good at golf if he never actually practiced his swing hundreds of thousands of times?

]]>10 Flexible Language Teaching Approaches That Are Totally Approachablehttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/language-teaching-approaches/
Tue, 02 Aug 2016 15:18:07 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=603Ever heard the saying, “There’s more than one way to crack an egg”?

The movie is about Daniel, a bullied teenager who’s taken under the wings of a Japanese karate master, one Mr. Miyagi.…

]]>What does the 1984 movie “Karate Kid” have to do with teaching languages?

A lot, as it turns out.

The movie is about Daniel, a bullied teenager who’s taken under the wings of a Japanese karate master, one Mr. Miyagi.…

]]>How to Teach a Foreign Language in High School: 5 Tips That Will Keep Your Students Coming Back for Morehttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/how-to-teach-a-foreign-language-in-high-school/
Mon, 11 Jul 2016 12:50:52 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1248“Know your audience.”

(Before you open your mouth.)

It’s as good of a piece of advice as any other, and is applicable not only in sales and public speaking, but also in teaching foreign language—a rarefied form of sales …

]]>“Know your audience.”

(Before you open your mouth.)

It’s as good of a piece of advice as any other, and is applicable not only in sales and public speaking, but also in teaching foreign language—a rarefied form of sales …

]]>5 Top Techniques for Mixing and Matching Second Language Teaching Methodshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/second-language-teaching-methods/
Wed, 06 Jul 2016 10:31:00 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=656Ever see kids who are completely overwhelmed in a candy store?

You know, where there’s so much candy they just can’t figure out which one to get?

Or have you ever had those nights when all the good TV shows …

]]>Ever see kids who are completely overwhelmed in a candy store?

You know, where there’s so much candy they just can’t figure out which one to get?

]]>4 Activities with Pair and Group Work to Increase Student Talking Time in the Language Classroomhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/pair-and-group-work-in-the-language-classroom/
Mon, 20 Jun 2016 17:53:59 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1234Thirty students. One teacher. Sixty minutes.

Whether or not this is your reality, learning how to leverage the benefits of pair and group …

]]>The Multisensory Approach: The Best Way to Teach Languageshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/best-way-to-teach-language/
Wed, 15 Jun 2016 17:07:45 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1390You smell a flower or hear a song, and all the memories come flooding back.

]]>Why Teach a Foreign Language, You Ask? Here Are 5 Booming Benefits That Should Be on Your Radarhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/why-teach-foreign-language/
Mon, 30 May 2016 15:15:33 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1195“What’s in it for me?” you ask.

]]>How to Provide Positive, Meaningful Feedback to Your Foreign Language Studentshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/language-feedback/
Mon, 23 May 2016 14:16:54 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1252To correct or not to correct? That is the question…

Whether ‘tis better to provide the correct answer,

Or to give enough information so that students have the tools

To correct their own mistakes themselves, and therein–we hope–to end them.…

]]>To correct or not to correct? That is the question…

Whether ‘tis better to provide the correct answer,

Or to give enough information so that students have the tools

To correct their own mistakes themselves, and therein–we hope–to end them.…

]]>Tailored Lessons: 4 Foolproof Strategies for Teaching Foreign Language to Adultshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/teaching-foreign-language-to-adults/
Mon, 09 May 2016 09:30:07 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1181In any of your college classes, did you ever stop to play a game of duck duck goose?

]]>Extra! Extra! We’ve Got the Cure for Foreign Language Anxietyhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/foreign-language-anxiety/
Mon, 02 May 2016 08:45:40 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=681You enter your foreign language class, and you notice that some students react to your entrance like you’re the bearer of doom.

]]>Begin at the Beginning: 10 Tips for Teaching Any Language to Newbieshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/how-to-teach-a-language-to-beginners/
Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:15:54 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1281Did you just get assigned a class full of beginners? Great!

Are you worried about what to do with them? Don’t be!

Teaching beginner language students may seem daunting, but don’t fret. You will soon find working with them …

Teaching beginner language students may seem daunting, but don’t fret. You will soon find working with them …

]]>7 Questions to Consider Before Constructing a CLIL Classroomhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/clil-classroom/
Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:16:40 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1115Are you looking for a new way to teach?

The world has woken up to the fact that creativity is not just a fluffy term assigned to kindergarten art projects.

It is essential to human …

]]>Want to know a secret?

Curiosity didn’t kill the cat. Lack of creativity did.

The world has woken up to the fact that creativity is not just a fluffy term assigned to kindergarten art projects.

It is essential to human …

]]>Are You Providing Adequate Motivation to Your Students as They’re Learning a Language?http://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/motivation-in-language-learning/
Mon, 22 Feb 2016 19:07:02 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=752If you can read this, thank a teacher.

This is a line from a framed poster hanging on the wall of a secondhand bookstore that I frequent.

Every time I pass by and glance at it, I can’t help but …

]]>If you can read this, thank a teacher.

This is a line from a framed poster hanging on the wall of a secondhand bookstore that I frequent.

Every time I pass by and glance at it, I can’t help but …

]]>CLIL: What It Is, and Why Language Teachers Will Find It Delightfulhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/what-is-clil/
Tue, 16 Feb 2016 20:34:30 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=989It’s time to take a break from teaching language.

]]>5 Authentic Materials for Teaching Reading in a Foreign Language Without Bookshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/teaching-reading-in-a-foreign-language/
Mon, 25 Jan 2016 12:07:38 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=1104Imagine if all students were bookworms.

]]>5 Tips to Help You Become the Best Online Language Teacher Everhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/teach-languages-online/
Tue, 08 Dec 2015 01:41:44 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=549Can I tell you a secret?

Come closer.

The best online language teachers have five secrets to success. And I’m telling you they are oh so simple.

]]>10 Questions Everyone Has About Becoming a Great Language Teacherhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/how-to-become-a-language-teacher/
Thu, 03 Dec 2015 06:37:29 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=630So, you want to become a language teacher.

]]>No Whammies: 5 Effective Language Class Activities Based on Popular Game Showshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/language-class-activities/
Mon, 23 Nov 2015 11:23:35 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=840Final question, for 500 points: What’s a simple way to get an entire classroom excited about a language lesson?

Answer: Make it a game show.

A teacher and a TV game show host aren’t that different. You both call …

]]>The Key Foreign Language Teaching Methodologies and How to Choose the Best for Youhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/foreign-language-teaching-methodology/
Mon, 09 Nov 2015 11:56:43 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=429Why do you teach?

]]>Move and Groove: 5 Total Physical Response Activities That’ll Have Students Soaking Up Language Like a Spongehttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/total-physical-response/
Thu, 29 Oct 2015 02:19:41 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=461Want a teaching technique that’ll make your students jump for joy, dance with delight and finish off with high fives?

Sounds like you’re looking for a language teaching approach called total physical response or TPR for short.

]]>Stamp of Approval: 5 Reasons Your Language Students Want You to Use Authentic Materials in the Classroomhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/using-authentic-materials-in-the-classroom/
Wed, 14 Oct 2015 20:53:01 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=409“How do I make this experience come alive for my students?”

As language educators, we’re constantly mulling over this question.

We want our students to appreciate the language in its full color.

We want to make it so real they …

]]>“How do I make this experience come alive for my students?”

As language educators, we’re constantly mulling over this question.

We want our students to appreciate the language in its full color.

We want to make it so real they …

]]>7 Engaging MFL Activities That Make Your Classroom an Awesome Place to Behttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/mfl-activities/
Wed, 30 Sep 2015 19:00:46 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=297Remember the excitement you felt that morning when you had something special prepared for your class, an activity that you know they would just absolutely love?

]]>7 MFL Resource Websites That’ll Make You Teacher of the Yearhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/mfl-teaching-resources/
Mon, 21 Sep 2015 14:44:24 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=206Ever thought about what it would be like to be Teacher of the Year?

It’s not about the accolades from fellow teachers and the admin, and it’s not about the small trophy that they give you.

It’s about something else …

]]>Ever thought about what it would be like to be Teacher of the Year?

It’s not about the accolades from fellow teachers and the admin, and it’s not about the small trophy that they give you.

It’s about something else …

]]>How to Get Started Using FluentU with Foreign Language Classeshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/teacher-guide-how-to-use-fluentu-schools/
Wed, 16 Sep 2015 13:35:57 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=552You’re ready for language learning like you’ve never seen before.

]]>6 Favorite Grammar Games for the Foreign Language Classroomhttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/grammar-games-for-the-classroom/
Mon, 07 Sep 2015 15:46:50 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=233Do you remember playing games as a child? Of course you do!

Did you realize that you were actively learning while you were playing?

You were learning to count, to reason, to develop strategies, to negotiate, to debate and argue, …

Did you realize that you were actively learning while you were playing?

You were learning to count, to reason, to develop strategies, to negotiate, to debate and argue, …

]]>TPRS: How to Deliver Unforgettable Language Lessons with Story Timehttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/tprs/
Mon, 31 Aug 2015 21:39:32 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=201Want your classroom experience to be the stuff of school legends?

Long to be the teacher that all the students love to hang around and chat with? You know, the one that students fondly remember after years have gone by.…

]]>Want your classroom experience to be the stuff of school legends?

Long to be the teacher that all the students love to hang around and chat with? You know, the one that students fondly remember after years have gone by.…

It brings the best of FluentU—learning languages with real-world videos like music videos, movie trailers, news and more—to the iPad.

Just think …

]]>How to Motivate Students and Track Their Progress at the Same Time with FluentU (New Feature!)http://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/motivate-students-track-progress-time-fluentu-feature/
Wed, 29 Jul 2015 13:45:25 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=289When you’re teaching a group class, there are a ton of challenges.

How do you keep all of your students engaged?

And how do you keep track of what they’re working on, and how they’re doing?

Well, FluentU makes it …

]]>When you’re teaching a group class, there are a ton of challenges.

How do you keep all of your students engaged?

And how do you keep track of what they’re working on, and how they’re doing?

Well, FluentU makes it …

]]>7 Foreign Language Vocabulary Games to Banish Boredom from Your Classeshttp://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator/foreign-language-vocabulary-games/
Sun, 14 Jun 2015 22:41:00 +0000http://www.fluentu.com/educator/blog/?p=164Do you know what games and ninjas have in common?